NEPC trains Kwara women on export business

Women business owners in Kwara State have been enjoined to embrace export business as “tomorrow’s business” capable of empowering and improving their socio-economic lives.

Speaking at a one-day training programme organised by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) on “Export market strategy/readiness training for women-owned businesses in Kwara state” in Ilorin, the NEPC executive director/CEO, Dr Ezra Yakusak, thus, said that there is an urgent need to increase women’s potential to participate in high-level businesses that can foster financial empowerment, job creation and social development in their communities.

Represented by the Trade Promotion Advisor, Ilorin Export Assistance Office, Mr James Akinwunmi, the NEPC boss said that the COVID-19 pandemic had crippled the Nigerian economy and led to a steep decline in foreign exchange earnings, adding that it became necessary to optimize export activities in Nigeria, especially in areas that were previously untapped like Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Women-Owned Businesses (WOBs).

Quoting a recent survey by World Bank, Dr Yakusak said that Nigeria has one of the highest rates of female entrepreneurship in the world, adding that the high performance of women in sectors like agriculture, textiles and apparels indicate that women play a major role in the diversification of the Nigerian economy.

“The participation of women in trade also promotes gender inclusiveness, increases the growth potential of the nation and creates a more balanced framework for sustainable development,” he said.

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Also speaking, the state commissioner for Business Innovation and Technology, Hajia Arinola Lawal, said that Nigeria cannot continue to rely on one product (crude oil) as the main source of national revenue.

The commissioner, who said that the state has a great women potential for non-oil export commodity products ranging from rice, soya bean, cashew nuts, shea nuts/butter, melon, cassava to solid minerals, added that products are available in the state for exploitation and export.

Hajia Lawal said that Kwara State women are largely involved in agribusiness among other non-oil ventures in Nigeria, adding that the training would help to build the capacity of women entrepreneurs to properly package, certify and market their products to meet international standards.

Also speaking, the Trade Promotion Advisor, Ilorin Export Assistance Office, Mr James Akinwunmi, represented by Mallam Ayinde Mosadi, said that the training programme was sequel to the sensitization workshop for women-owned businesses on Shetrades Commonwealth project in Kwara state held on November 26, 2019, in Ilorin, where about 301 entrepreneurial women were connected to the Shetrades programme.

“The main purpose of promoting the entrepreneurial women-owned businesses is to increasing the economic growth and job creation in Commonwealth countries by enabling the increased participation of women-owned business in international trade,” he said.

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NEPC trains Kwara women on export business